Members of the CAM, Elk Horn-Kimballton and Griswold School District’s Boards of Education all have separate meetings scheduled for this evening. In Anita, the CAM School Board will gather at the High School Media Center for a 7-p.m. session, during which they will hear a presentation on Innovative Classrooms, and then discuss and possibly act on: A Resolution approving contracts and bonds for the multipurpose building; A contract; and, Setting the date and time for a public hearing on an early start date for the 2013-2014 school year. In addition, the CAM School Board will take time to review the budget, set the date and time for a budget hearing, and, act on a School Funding Resolution. Prior to adjournment, the board will enter into a closed session to discuss negotiations for the 2013-2014 school year.

In Elk Horn, the EHK School Board will meet in the Family/Consumer Science Room at the High School, beginning at 7-p.m.  During their meeting, the Board will act on a contract for Special Education Instructor Andrea Wilch. They’ll also hear a report from Superintendent Dean Schnoes, with regard to the Reorganization Timeline, and discuss the 2013-2014 School Calendar, for which a public hearing will be held, in March. In other business, the EHK Board will act on: Approving a Whole Grade Sharing agreement, with regard to the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA); a School Funding Resolution; and, a matter pertaining to the Heat Pumps.

And finally, the Griswold School Board will meet at 5:30 in the Central Office Board Room, to go over and possibly act on a Budget Guarantee Resolution, bids for chemical application to the lawns, the selection of an Engineer/Designer for the school Track Project, an agreement with Estes Construction, and School-based Interventionist.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Iowa State Patrol, Sunday, issue a report on a fiery, fatal accident that happened Friday night, in Union County. Officials say 48-year old Michelle Schrodt, of Lorimore died, after she over-corrected the 2007 Ford truck she was driving on Yellow Rose Avenue (a gravel road), when it slipped onto the shoulder. The vehicle then hit a tree and ended up in a culvert before catching fire. Schrodt was transported to the Union County Hospital in Creston, where she was pronounced dead. The accident happened at around 10:40-p.m., Friday.

Sheriff’s officials in Fremont County say a Nebraska man died Saturday, after a vehicle he was working on fell on top of him. 57-year old Earl Lee Schmidt, of Omaha, was found beneath a vehicle near a maintenance shop he owns at 2049 11th Street, in Bartlett. Deputies and emergency personnel extricated Schmitt from the vehicle and life saving measures were taken, but they were unsuccessful, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined Schmitt and another person were working on the vehicle when it shifted off of the jack stands and landed on Schmitt. The accident happened at around 2:15-p.m.,  Saturday.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Police say an Iowa man fatally shot his girlfriend before taking his own life this weekend.  Council Bluffs Police Sgt. Chad Meyers said 38-year-old Stephony Metzger died Saturday morning in the bedroom of her mobile home.  Police say that after 42-year-old Terry Francis shot his girlfriend, he shot himself.

Francis and Metzger had dated for several years, but neighbor Jennifer Iwersen says Metzger had recently been trying to end the relationship.  Metzger had three children between the ages of 12 and 18.

The shooting was discovered after Metzger’s 18-year-old daughter called police Saturday morning around 10:15.

w/ Chris Parks

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22-year-old Michah David Meloccaro of Woodbine was sentenced on Friday (Feb. 15, 2013) on the charge of unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.  US District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose sentenced Meloccaro to 30 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.  Meloccaro also had to forfeit two shotguns and ammunition he possessed and was ordered to pay $100 the the Crime Victim Fund.  Meloccaro is currently on release pending his serving location designation.

Meloccaro had plead guilty to the charge which arose out of an emergency medical call to his residence in Woodbine.  Meloccaro had accidently shot a friend at close range with a 12-guage shotgun.  The victim is currently recovering.  During response to that incident Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputies observed a marijuana growing operation at Meloccaro’s residence.  As part of his federal plea agreement Melocarro must also plead guilty in District Court to manufacturing marijuana.

The investigation was conducted by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Harrison County Attorney’s Office also aided in this case, which was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on Friday (February 15, 2013) in US District Court in Council Bluffs on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking.  28-year-old Clifford Arthur Ellis of Council Bluffs was sentenced to 235 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release following his release by District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose.  Ellis was sentenced to 60 months on the firearm charge and 175 months on the drug conspiracy charge.   The Court also ordered Ellis to forfeit the firearm and ammunition which he had possessed, and to pay a $200.00 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund. Ellis remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at which he will serve his sentence.

Ellis had earlier plead guilty to the charges that arose out of an investigation by the SouthWest Iowa Narcotics Task Force which began in mid-2011.  Ellis admitted responsibility for approximately 1.36 kilograms of methamphetamine. Ellis also regularly carried a loaded .45 caliber pistol, and then, later, a loaded 9mm pistol.

On January 4, 2012, Ellis and two other persons were arrested by Council Bluffs Police Officers in the course of the burglary of a truck parked in an apartment parking lot in Council Bluffs. The 9mm pistol was recovered from Ellis at that time.

On April 1, 2012, an Iowa State Patrol Trooper and Mills County Sheriff Deputies arrested Ellis and another person in Mills County carrying approximately one ounce of methamphetamine for distribution.

The investigation was conducted by the SouthWest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department, the Mills County Sheriff’s Department, and the Iowa State Patrol. The Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office and the Mills County Attorney’s Office also aided in this case, which was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court says farmers who host educational tours are not shielded from personal injury lawsuits under Iowa’s recreational use law. The court ruled 5-2 on Friday that the owners of a dairy farm can be sued by a chaperone injured when she fell through a hole in a hayloft during a kindergarten class field trip.

The Iowa Farm Bureau had warned that allowing farmers to face liability would jeopardize tours that teach children about animals and farming. The group says farmers may no longer host such events if they’re worried about lawsuits.

At issue is a law that bars injury lawsuits against landowners who open their land for public recreational uses such as snowmobiling and hunting. The court says playing on a hayloft in a barn doesn’t qualify.

A spokesman for the union that represents Iowa’s rural mail carriers is calling for the removal of Patrick Donahoe as U-S postmaster general. David Heather of Kansas City is executive committeeman for the National Rural Letter Carriers Association. Heather says the recent announcement by Donahoe to end Saturday mail delivery in August is an example of his poor leadership.
It wasn’t just based on this decision,” Heather says. “It was based on a lot of things he’s been doing the last couple of years that we feel are irresponsible in his running of the business. The main infraction though was the unilateral move without congressional approval to eliminate the delivery of mail on Saturday.”

Heather says his association believes the lack of Saturday delivery would have an extremely negative impact on rural America. “The elimination of the delivery of mail on Saturdays would have a devastating effect to the postal service, especially in the rural areas where the carriers that we represent live and work,” Heather says. “We feel the $2 billion in savings Postmaster Donahoe has touted can’t be substantiated and we feel that’s a very high estimate of the savings that would actually occur.”

The Postal Service reported nearly $16-billion in losses for its last budget year and expects even larger losses in 2013. The losses last year were triple the losses from the previous year. Heather says eliminating Saturday deliveries will have a negative effect on the ability of the postal service to remain viable. “We believe that cutting out service will lose business for the postal service,” he says. “When you’re a business that all you have to sell is the service you provide and you cut down on that service, we don’t feel like that’s a wise way to run a business.”

Heather says the biggest obstacle for the post office to maintain a positive cash flow is a congressional requirement passed in 2006. “This legislation requires the postal service to pre-fund health care benefits for future retirees 75 years into the future. And it requires the postal service to pay for all those benefits 75 years into the future in just a 10-year period. The result is a charge of a little over $5 billion a year to the bottom line of the postal service.” Heather says it’s extremely unfair and not fully understood by the general public. “This is a requirement that’s not placed on any other government agency,” he says. “This is a requirement that’s certainly not placed on any private company.” While it will stop regular deliver of mail on Saturdays, the Postal Service will continue to deliver packages six days a week, post office boxes will still get mail on Saturdays and post offices that are now open Saturdays will remain open on Saturdays.

(Radio Iowa)